Collapsible poultry crate



Aug. 14, 1923. 11,465.11114! A. s CALHOUN COLLAPSIBLE POULTRY CRATE I Filed Sept. 29. 1921 2 Shee ts-Sheet 1 Aug. 14-, l 923.

A. S. CALHOUN COLLAPSIBLE POULTRY CRATE Filed Sept. 29, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v11,.vkiwranwanwalvmlwalwar l Patented Aug. 14, 1923.

ASA S. CALHOUN, OI COLQUITT, GEORGIA.

COLLAPSIBLE POULTRY CRATE.

iApplication filedseptember 29, 1921. .Serial no. 504,022.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I. Asa Sf CALHOUN, a citizen of the United Statearesiding at Colquitt, in the county of of Georgia, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Collapsible Poultry Crates; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

-- This invention relates to new and useful improvements in poultry shippingcrates and has for its primary ob ect the provlsion of a device of the above stated character which will be strong and light in weight and capable of being folded into a compact device for return shipment.

Another object of this invention is the" provision of means for securing the device against collapsing and which means also. prevents separation of the parts when the device is folded v y A further objectof this invention is the provision of a shipping crate of the above stated character, which will be simple, durable, and efficient, and which may be manufactured and sold at a comparatively low cost.

With these and other objects in view as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which z- Figure 1 is a perspective vieiy, illustrating a shipping crate constructed in accordance with my invention,

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating the same,

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view illustrating the same,

Figure 4 is a view illustrating the device are secured for Miller and State,

secured thereto posts 16 which the purpose of forming the bottom 3 of the crate. The beams l have se cured thereto side'frames 41 by hinges 5 and said sides 4: are constructed from upper and lower members 6 and 7 connected by end members and an intermediate member 9. Foraminous material is secured over the 7 sides 4 for the purpose of providing neces sary light and ventilation for the poultry contained in the crate. The sides 4 are further strengthened by end members 11 that aresecured to said sides and also to the beams 1. End walls 12 include upper and lower members 13 and 14 connected together by end members 15. The end members have are pivotally connected to the beams 1 by bolts 17; The posts 16 extend parallelwith the reinforcing members 11 when the device is in a set. up or operative position consequently preventing the side walls 4 from folding inwardly. The

The side members '19 are provided with V marginal flanges 21 to be side walls l to prevent swinging outwardly.

members 19 and 20 of cured together in any suitable manner and also are protected and reinforced by strips 22. The end members 20 have blocks 23 se cured thereto and provided. with openings 24: to receive bolts 25 secured to the upper members 13 of the end walls, and the bolts have wing nuts 26 turned thereon after the bolts pass through the openings 24-, thus it will be seen that the cover is firmly secured to the walls of the crate. The frame of the cover is strengthened by a longitudinally extending strip 27 and the frame of said cover is closed by foraminous material which is secured to the side and end members by binding strips 28. To fold the crate, the wingnuts 26 are removed from the bolts 25 and the end walls are swung inwardly to rest upon the bottom 3. The inner ends of the openings 24 are enlarged to permit the bolt to pass into and out of the openings 24- readily. With the end walls folded and also detached from the cover, the latter may be lifted off of the crate. The side walls engaged by'the the latter from The side and end the cover 18 are seare thenfolded inwardly to rest upon the end walls and the upper members 6 of the side walls are provided with openings 29 to permit the bolts 25 to extend therethrough and have the nuts 26 turned thereon. The cover is then placed onto the side walls and the bolts 31 pass through openings 29 in the cover and have the nuts 32 turned thereon, consequently firmly locking or holding the side and end walls in a folded position and also securing the cover tightly to said walls.

The lower members 7 of the side walls are provided with notches 30 to receive the vertically extending bolts 31 secured to the beams l and said bolts have turned thereon wing nuts 32 which are adapted to engage the members 7 of said side walls for the purpose of aiding in holding said side wallsin a vertical or non-folded position. It is to be understood that the nuts on the bolts '31. are turned away from the members 7 of the side walls or off of said bolts when desiring to move said side walls into a folded position.

The cover is provided with a hand opening closed by a hinged cover 34: of any suitable construction and which is held in a closed position by a suitable catch. The purpose of the hand opening is to permit fowls to be removed from the crate.

lVhile I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that minor changes in construction, combination, and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is 1. A shipping crate comprising side beams. a bottom secured to said beams, side walls hinged to. saidbeams, end walls pivoted to said beams, said side and end walls capable of being folded one upon the other on the bottom wall, a cover receiving the upper edges of the: side and end walls, and fastening means carried by the end walls for securing the cover thereto and adapted to pass through the side walls and the cover when the device is in a folded position.

2. A shippingcrate comprising side beams, side walls hinged. to said beams, posts pivoted to the beams, end walls secured to said posts, a bottom secured to said beams said side and end walls capable of being folded one upon the other onto the. bottom, a. cover having side marginal flanges to receive the u 3 )er edges of the side walls, 1 l

blocks secured to the cover and receiving the upper edges of the end walls and having openings, bolts carried by the end walls and extending through the openings and having nuts turned thereon. said side walls and cover having openings to receive the bolts when the walls are in a folded position so as to permit the bolts with the nuts to secure the walls and cover in a compact article.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ASA CALHOUN.

lVitnesses JACK HARRIs, 

